Mr.
Kilbourn
Bahamas
This is Latin America.
Latin America is NOT a continent.
Latin America is NOT a country.
Latin America IS a cultural Region.
Mexico
Belize
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Panama
Latin America
stretches for
5,500 miles
from the Rio
Grande River in
Mexico to Cape
Horn at the
southern end of
South America.
Latin America lies between the Pacific and Atlantic
oceans. Both oceans are important trade routes for
Latin America. The Caribbean Sea is another
important body of water in Latin America.
CARIBBEAN SEA
ATLANTIC OCEAN
PACIFIC OCEAN
The Rio Grande
• The Rio Grande is a good example of how a
river can be a physical barrier between two
countries. Part of the Rio Grande is a border
between the United States and Mexico.
Subregions
There are two sub-regions of Latin America.
“MIDDLE AMERICA”
-Mexico
-Central America
countries
-Island nations in the
Caribbean
SOUTH
AMERICA
-12
countries
-2 foreign
ruled
territories
Bahamas
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Jamaica
Haiti
The Tropical Hemisphere
Most of the Latin America is
made up of mountains or
highlands.
HIGHLANDS - A
mountainous or hilly section
of a country
MOUNTAINS – land that is
at least 2000 ft high
La Cordillera
Rocky Mountains
Sierra Madres
Andes
La Cordillera is the main mountain chain extending from the Rocky Mountains in
Canada and the United States, through the Sierra Madres in Mexico and Central
America, and along the western coast of South America. In South America, these
mountains are known as the Andes.
SIERRA MADRES
In Mexico the Sierra Madres mountains split into
the Sierra Madre West and Sierra Madre East.
SIERRA MADRES EAST
SIERRA MADRES WEST
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal
• The Panama Canal is an important
waterway that cuts through the isthmus of
Panama. The canal is human made and
was completed in 1914. The canal
eliminated the long trip around Cape Horn,
the southernmost tip of South America.
Going Through the Panama Canal
1.Argentina
2.Bolivia
3.Brazil
4.Chile
5.Columbia
6.Ecuador
7.French Guiana
8.Guyana
9.Paraguay
10.Peru
11.Suriname
12.Uruguay
13.Venezuela
13
8 11 7
5
6
3
10
2
9
4
1
12
The Andes are the longest mountain
range in the world and, the 2nd
highest mountains in the world.
GUIANA HIGHLANDS
BRAZILIAN HIGHLANDS
VOLCANOES
Natural Disasters
• Latin America has many earthquakes and
volcanoes because part of it is located on the
Ring of Fire. In general, Peru, Ecuador, Chile,
and the west coast of Mexico have many
active volcanoes. The Caribbean Sea also has
many volcanoes.
Earthquake Zones
LOWLANDS
PAMPAS
One kind of lowland area in Latin
America are pampas. The pampas are
grassy plains that stretch from
Argentina into Uruguay. The pampas
are a productive farming region.
LOWLANDS
Another lowland area in Latin
America is the Amazon Basin.
The Amazon Basin is the worlds
largest rain forest occupying 40%
of South America.
South America has three major
river systems that provide
important transportation routes:
the Amazon river, Orinoco river
and, the Rio de la Plata. All these
rivers are important transportation
routes for people and goods.
AMAZON RIVER
The Amazon is the largest river system in
the world. It begins in the Andes
Mountains in Peru and flows east across
Brazil.
It is 4,000 miles long.
Orinoco River
The Orinoco river
starts in the
Guiana Highlands
and flows north
through
Venezuela to the
Atlantic Ocean. It
is the world’s 8th
largest river.
Rio de la Plata
The Rio de la Plata (River of Silver) is actually
made up of the Paraguay, Uruguay and
Parana rivers. It is the widest river in the
world It serves as a major shipping route.
Buenos Aires, Argentina is the world’s second
busiest port.
Dry Climate
Baja Peninsula, Mexico
Atacama Desert, Chile
Patagonian Plateau, Argentina and Chile
The Atacama is one of
the driest places on
Earth. In some parts no
rain has fallen for 400
years.
Altiplano
• Where the Andes are widest there are high
flat plains called altiplanos. People live and
farm in these areas but the temperature is
cool all year long and it can be difficult to
grow food.
Tropical Climate
In some tropical climates there are warm
temperatures and plenty of rainfall all year.
This creates rainforests. Rainforests are
found in the Amazon Basin, some Caribbean
islands and parts of Central America.
Other areas in Latin America are wet and dry
and warm all year. For example, lowlands of
Mexico, western Central America and
southern Brazil.
On the Ground Floor
of the Rain Forest
Native Indians of the Amazon
Minerals of the Amazon Region
Amethyst
Quartz
Diamonds
Bauxite
Temperate Climate
In temperate climates, warm
seasons alternate with cool seasons.
Temperate climates are good area
for grazing for livestock and farming.
Some areas where there are
temperate climates are in Paraguay,
Uruguay and northern Argentina.
In Latin America the chief
influence on climate is elevation
above sea level.
Climate can vary greatly
depending on if your are in the
lowlands or highlands.
Latin Americans have their own
terms for the changes in climate:
tierra caliente, tierra templada
and, tierra fria.
ELEVATION & CLIMATE
Tierra Caliente (hot land)
-close to sea level
-Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
-good for growing
sugar cane
and Amazon Basin
Bananas
ELEVATION & CLIMATE
Tierra Templada (temperate land)
–areas that lie above 3,000 ft. above sea level
-days are hot, nights are cool
-Mexican central plateau and valleys in the Andes Mountains
-good for growing
COFFEE
TOBACCO
ELEVATION & CLIMATE
Tierra Fria (cold Land)
-highlands that are at least 6,000 ft above sea level
-nighttime and winter temperatures are cold
-Mexico City, Mexico and Bogota, Columbia are in the tierra fria.
-good for growing
WHEAT
BARLEY
POTATO
ES
Sao Paolo, Brazil
Squatter Settlements
in Major Latin American Cities